Has he ever been honoured at the R2 Folk Awards? I stopped going to the awards a few years ago when we noved to the country, and have lost touch. But if he hasn't already got one, surely he deserves a lifetime's achievement award to go with his R&R hall of fame induction?

He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award in February of this year. That clearly made some impact, then. If you - or anyone else - can tell me of a half-decent or memorable song he has written in the last 40 years I might be convinced of his enduring ability.

He wrote some good songs between 1965 and about 1969. Oh, he also claims to have taught John Lennon to fingerpick guitar, as he reminds us at every opportunity.

I did see him at a recording of the BBC4 Songwriters Circle a few months ago. It did even less to convince me.

^ That`s a wonderful clip, as it gives such a level-playing-field comparison between the two guys. Down to the same guitar, the only difference is in their material, with Dylan`s edgy voice and lyrics highlighting all the weaknesses in Donovan`s effort. The problem with Donovan was that he was too much of a nice guy, a softie, so that his song with it`s predictable sad/bad, you/do rhymes becomes, like so much of his material, a kind of lullaby for adults.